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Ladies Howl at the Moon to close out season

BY BETSY F. JOINER GASPARILLA ISLAND MARITIME MUSEUM The Ladies Howl at the Moon Tarpon Tournament, hosted by the Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum, will be held Saturday, June 20 from 7 to 10 p…

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Charlotte discusses impact of Homestead referendum

Boca Grande also updated During the June 9, 2026 Charlotte County Regular and Land Use meeting, one agenda item of great concern was the review of this year’s state legislative and special sessio…

Briefly: New Quiet Title suit filed for property

A lawsuit seeking quiet title to a Boca Grande property at 341 Gilchrist Ave. has been filed in Lee County Circuit Court. The case was brought by Cross Street Real Estate Services LLC, acting as…

Florida Magazine Association awards

Gasparilla Island Magazine, Tarpon Times & More and the Visitor’s Guide earned 16 awards, including four first-place Charlie Awards, at the 2026 Florida Magazine Association Charlie Awards compe…

Congratulations!

Braeden Hobbs graduated from Charlotte High School, Punta Gorda, on May 21 with magna cum laude honors. Braeden ranked among the top 20 percent of his graduating class and plans on starting college…

Congratulations!

Lemon Bay Conservancy awarded the 2026 Elsie Bracken Environmental Science Scholarship to Lemon Bay High School Senior Keegan Noel. Pictured (l to r): Irene Slattery, Lemon Bay Conservancy Presiden…

Graduate!

Ambrea Hobbs graduated from the University of West Florida, Pensacola, on May 2 with summa cum laude honors. She earned a B.A. in history and a B.A. in legal studies with a minor in political scienc…

Island Live Music!

Scarpa’s Coastal is having live music this June and July in an “Island Summer Series in Live Music” starting with Kenny Rose on Thursday, June 18. Continuing with Amy Cyr on Friday, June 26, Jac…

TARPON SCHEDULE 2026

Ladies Day Fishing The annual Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament will be held on Saturday, May 9 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. An open awards party to follow at Scarpa’s Coastal from 8 to 10 p.m. This ye…

Memorial Day sandbar lineup announced

On Saturday, May 23, the Uncle Don’s Boca H2O Music Festival will be held in the water off the sandbar between Gasparilla Island and Placida. The concert is put together by Big Boy Toyz Expo. The…

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Rev. Beth Demme

New at Lighthouse United Methodist Following the departure of the Rev. Daphne Johnson from Lighthouse United Methodist Church, the congregation will welcome the Rev. Beth Demme from Tallahassee next month as she leads her first Sunday service at the church. Demme is moving down on June 30 and her first Sunday will be July 5. […]

Sports & Outdoors

Health & Wellness

First patients at new Health Clinic

Kim Newlin (above) was the first patient appointment at the new clinic. Photographed with Dana Pellant, L.P.N. Kimberly Whipple (right) was the first same-day patient at the new clinic. Photogra…

New Boca Grande Health Clinic dedicated

The Boca Grande Health Clinic opened the doors of their new Clinic of the Future on Tuesday, with over 300 gathered. The $30 million project not only includes new clinic offices and facilities, but…

Boca Grande ‘Clinic of the Future’ dedicated this week

More than 300 people gathered on May 5 as the Boca Grande Health Clinic officially dedicated its new Clinic of the Future to the community and recognized the many donors who made the project possibl…

Clinic: Mother’s Day is perfect time to reflect on women’s health

BY NATALIE COLE, R.N. BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC If you are struggling to think of the perfect gift this Mother’s Day, consider something many women rarely give themselves: time to focus on their…

Battery arrest on Memorial Weekend

During Memorial Day weekend, a 36-year-old man was arrested without bond for battery on the Boca Grande Causeway. On Saturday, May 23, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Lee County She…

New EMS students

Charlotte County Fire & EMS, in partnership with Charlotte Technical College, hosted its first-ever Signing Day Ceremony on May 26, recognizing local students pursuing careers in fire and emerge…

Overturned boat in Boca Grande Pass on Monday

Charter boat rescue Last weekend saw two separate boating incidents in the waters around Gasparilla Island, though no serious injuries were reported and only a handful of minor injuries occurred…

DUI arrest on the Causeway Saturday

A 36-year-old woman was arrested on the Boca Grande Causeway on Saturday, May 23 for driving under the influence. Just after 6 p.m., a Charlotte County deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Chevy…

News Archives

Jeffrey Edward Larson 1987-2026

Jeffrey Edward Larson was born February 12, 1987 and was taken to heaven May 28, 2026. He was 39 years old. He resided with his mother and father, J…

Lane Hartle 1936 – 2026

Lane Hartle passed away in Sarasota on May 26, 2026. She was born in 1936 in Warsaw, Indiana. She attended schools in Warsaw and graduated from Sara…

Dennis Guppy 1955 – 2026

Guppy has left the building. After a prolonged illness, Dennis passed away on May 21, 2026, a day after his 71st birthday. It was peaceful after…

Dennis Guppy

The Beacon has received word of the death of Dennis Guppy, who died May 21, 2026. He was known on the island for Black Tie Catering, and had previou…

DeeAnn Phillips 1938-2026

We are heartbroken to share the passing of our beloved DeeAnn Phillips, who passed peacefully with her family by her side on April 20, 2026. DeeAnn…